Stock up on your cheap-movie fixes now, San Diego, because the UltraStar Play It Again theater's days are numbered.

The theater, which has been at the Chula Vista Center for more than a decade, will vacate its lease at the mall after this holiday season, to be replaced by a new state-of-the-art AMC theater.

UltraStar Play It Again specializes in extending release times of popular films and rerunning iconic ones, and with the priciest tickets going for $4, it has been one of the few places moviegoers can frequent without breaking the bank.

It is also the last remaining local theater for Vista-based UltraStar Cinemas, which last December sold half of its 14 theaters to Digital Cinema Destinations (Digiplex) for about $13 million. The company has since taken a different direction, entering a partnership to build movie theaters in China and opening its first "multi-tainment" center in Maricopa, Ariz., a veritable big-kid playground of movie theaters, bowling alleys, restaurants, gaming and laser tag.

Related

With UltraStar leaving, Chula Vista Center owner Rouse Properties announced this week it has signed a new lease agreement with AMC Theatres to open a 35,000-square-foot 10-screen theater at the mall in the summer of 2014.

The 875,000-square-foot open-air mall was built in 1962 and is anchored by big-box stores like Macy's and J.C. Penney. It serves a dense urban community of more than 1 million people, and is one of the mainstays of the South County region of San Diego. An extensive renovation in 2012 included upgrades to its common areas, a new outdoor fireplace, a children's play area, free Wi-Fi and lounge seating throughout the center. Recent retail additions to the center include G By Guess, Buffalo Wild Wings and Shiekh Shoes.

"Securing another high-profile tenant like AMC reflects the significant leasing momentum we have enjoyed at Chula Vista Center since completing its renovation," said Andrew Silberfein, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rouse Properties, in a statement about the deal.

AMC Theatres, which last year was sold to Chinese entertainment conglomerate Wanda Group, this year renovated its La Jolla 12 location, bringing in recliners, higher-end concessions and alcoholic beverages for its adult customers. It reported an 11 percent increase in its revenue and 7 percent increase in attendance for the 2012 calendar year, and has filed for an initial public offering of its stock.

Rouse, a spinoff of the nation's second-largest mall owner, General Growth Properties, is a publicly traded real estate investment trust based in New York City. It boasts a coast-to-coast portfolio that includes 32 malls in 19 states, encompassing more than 21.5 million square feet of space.